This dish is fantastic and super easy. And spicy. Oh, man. Lotta spice. Dealing with seasonal allergies? Nose stuffed up? Do yourself a favor and make this. Or just make this because it's delicious. You're golden either way.

Ingredients:
1 1/2- 2lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes, mostly drained
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup coconut milk (from a carton, not the thick stuff from a can. That stuff is a great for a ton of recipes but not this one)
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 Tablespoon ginger, chopped
2 Tablespoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
6-7 cloves garlic, chopped

****As you know, part of the credo at Platonic Paleo is that I give you doable, delicious, and nutritious recipes which won't send you running to the store for odd ingredients. There are a LOT of spices and related ingredients in this one, and I don't want to stress you out. If you don't have one or two of the ingredients above, don't worry about it. The rest of the spices can shoulder the load of the great flavor of this dish. The only ingredient you absolutely need need for this one is the garam masala.

Directions:

Friends, this is a really easy recipe, direction-wise. You are going to be wowed how easy and quick it can be to create an intense and well-rounded flavor.

2. While your chicken is cooking, get your side dish started. This intensely-flavored dish should be served over something neutral. Whether you're using steamed cauliflower, lentils, or what have you, get it started now so everything will be done around the same time

3. Now get your sauce ingredients together. Chop what needs chopping, per the ingredients list. Toss the tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, salt, ginger, all the spices, and the garlic in your food processor or powerful blender

7. Scoop it over your side dish and devour. The spice and flavor here is incredible and yummy and intense. Pour yourself a glass of coconut or cashew milk to cool your mouth down as needed

How did this dish go over in your house? Were you sweating by the end of the meal from the heat of the spices? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and what you served with it, I'd love to hear from you

Zucchini is just about the most versatile food on the planet. It's good raw, cooked, eaten on its own or in a stew or casserole, and its great texture and subtle sweetness make it great for baked goods as well. 

Right now it's high zucchini season in southern Wisconsin and we're using it in all the above iterations and more. Today's task was yummy, fresh from the bakery, bread and I think you'll love the results.

Ingredients: (works perfect for doubling)
1 cup shredded zucchini, with the water pressed out of it
1/2 cup coconut flour (note: do not substitute almond flour, it really won't work)
1 ripe banana, broken into chunks or mashed with a fork
4 eggs
2 Tbsp Honey (Maple Syrup is okay, but honey works better in this recipe)
1 Heaping Tbsp Coconut Oil
3/4 tsp baking soda (baking powder also interacts great with coconut flourso feel free to play around with this)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg or pie spice (pie spice will add more cinnamon but that's fine for this recipe)
Parchment paper or your favorite oil for greasing pans

​Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Chop your zucchini then put it in your food processor. Chop up more than you think will yield one cup, and use the extra on some scrambled eggs or something. You can technically use a vitamix to shred veggies (and, well, anything), but you'll need to add liquid. See the many vitamix recipes and demos for more info

2 1/2. You'll need to monitor your processor and periodically turn it off, take off the lid, and poke the remaining chunks of vegetable down and into the blade with a spatula or spoon, otherwise they'll just chill atop the shreds and never get chopped up

4. Combine your dry ingredients: mix the coconut flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium dish and set aside

5. Back to the zucchini shreds: shredded vegetable will release a lot of water. Since you've given it a minute, the water in your shreds should have drained down, allowing you to scoop one cup of reasonably dry shreds from the top. The shreds should have a malleable but not goopy consistency, like fresh clay from art class. If they are wetter than that, set them on a couple of paper towels, wrap them up, and squeeze more moisture from them.

7. Mix the zuke into the wet ingredients, then add the mixed dry ingredients into the wet ingredients

9. Bake for 40 minutes or unil a fork or toothpick comes out clean. Different pans will require different time so with very small or very large pans, begin checking the bread at about 35 minutes

Hey paleoers, fitness fans, and people who just don't want to put junk in their bodies,

I recently saw some buzz about Paleo Pro, actually fully paleo protein powder, and I was quite intrigued. I've tried a lot of protein powders over the years, as post-workout recovery and/or as a means to get more protein crammed in during a strength cycle. I never seemed to get as much out of it as my fellow athletes and even more frustratingly, some of the powders really ripped up my stomach. So I was definitely in the market for something which would a) actually work, and b) not work over my digestive system.

I reached out the the nice folks at Paleo Pro and they agreed to send over samples so I could give things a shot. I checked the mail pretty excitedly for a few days until this box turned up, containing samples and a new blender bottle! I lose blender bottles like it's my job so I was pretty pumped.

To me, what sets Paleo Pro apart are two things: what's in it and what's not in it. In it is protein from grass fed beef and eggs. Not in it is whey, soy, gluten, or sugar. Well heck yeah.

​I was in love from the ingredients label alone-but wait, did it mix into liquids well? Did it taste at least ok? I was about to find out.

The first sample I tried was the recovery powder. I had it post morning run and drank it while I was stretching. It was thick enough to be interesting to the pallet, but without the thick chalkiness that some powders create that makes it hard to choke down. The flavor was well rounded and overall fine. (If you feel like I'm describing a snooty wine vintage, just wait, it gets better).

More important (to me), than the flavor was its effectiveness. I feel like this powder actually did its job in helping me recover, both post-run and then a few days later post-WOD. I found that I had a better and sustained level of energy and good spirits post-workout, and that was a great feeling.

The second sample I tried was the Aztec Vanilla protein powder and Oh My God it was DELICIOUS. I know taste is hardly the entire point but it was soooooooooo yum. I am asking for a full sized package of it for my half birthday, because that's the closest gift-giving holiday to right now that I can think of. Incredibly rich and well-rounded flavor, it tastes like a vanilla cupcake but of course not too thick. Filling and enjoyable, and took the edge off the hangry for a solid hour.

The Ancient Cacao was also a standout. I feel like I could add it to some coconut milk or coffee as a fun treat, but it's also more than good on its own.

Finally was the plain naked powder. I combined it with my morning coffee and a ton of ice and it was a fantastic start to the day. It helped keep my blood sugar/hunger level at an even keel, and actually did a better job of it than my typical scrambled eggs and veggies breakfast. 

Overall I was immensely pleased by and impressed with this product. I was floored by how easily it mixed into water, coffee, and anything else I dreamed up, how great it tasted, and most importantly, how well it actually worked. I couldn't ask for more from the product and I'm so glad I discovered it.

​Happy lifting and loving and living!!

The other day I was in the produce section of one of our local grocery stores well known for its produce selection and prices and I saw a little bag of sun dried tomatoes. I knew I had to have them and use them to jazz up a few recipes I had planned, including this one. I grabbed the bag, finished my shopping and hurried home, reflecting that this is not actually the first time I've made a tomato-related impulse buy. Hmmm.

Nonetheless, the SDT really added more than its share of flavor and heartiness to this dish and I'm betting you'll enjoy it as much as we did.

This makes enough for at least 4 adults

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
1lb ham (uncured ham for your best paleo option), cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1/2lb grass fed cheese, goat cheese, cheese substitute, or however you paleo, chopped small or grated
3 large eggs, farm fresh for preference
2 Tbsp almond or coconut flower, to help hold the fritters together
2 cloves garlic, diced and smashed
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

8. Unlike pancakes, which form bubbles and let you know when they are ready to flip, the fritters won't be very forthright about timing. Check to see if a fritter is cooked on one side by gently sliding a spatula under it. If the the spatula smoothly picks the fritter right up, go ahead and flip it, otherwise retreat with your spatula and give it another minute. With my pan and my stove, it took about 3 minutes on one side and 90 seconds on the flip side (pun obviously and gigglingly intended)

9. Once your fritters are cooked through and the cheese is bubbly, serve and devour. Enjoy!!

How did this recipe go for you? Ideas or suggestions for fun, fresh, and funky other ingredients? Like each recipe on this blog I tried to create something even non paleo-ers would enjoy. Do you have non-paleo friends? Firstly, why? (only kidding), Secondly, what did they think when you made this? Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments.